Since January 1, 2014, consumers and small businesses have had access to new health insurance Marketplaces (or Exchanges). Consumers in every state and the District of Columbia are able to buy qualified health plans available through their state’s Marketplace. This report describes the results of AIR consumer website usability testing, which focused on how consumers navigate and understand key functions of the Marketplace websites in five states.

How can the Health Insurance Marketplaces improve consumers’ experiences when shopping for, selecting, and enrolling in affordable health plans during future open-enrollment periods? To help answer this question, AIR developed the Marketplace Survey Improvement Guide. The Guide provides seven evidence-based strategies that will help Marketplaces improve the consumer experience by giving consumers accurate and relevant information in a timely manner and helping consumers understand and use that information.